Trump launches personal attack on basketball dad LeVar

Donald Trump has launched a personal attack on basketball father LaVar Ball, calling him ‘a poor man’s version of Don King, but without the hair.’

The father of LiAngelo Ball, one of three UCLA basketball players arrested in China accused of shoplifting earlier this month, questioned what Trump did to free his son when he appeared on CNN Tonight on Monday.

Today Trump hit back with a 5am Twitter rant in which he branded him a ‘fool’.

Donald Trump has launched a personal attack on basketball father LaVar Ball, calling him ‘a poor man’s version of Don King, but without the hair.’ Pictured: Boxing promoter Don King 

He wrote: ‘It wasn’t the White House, it wasn’t the State Department, it wasn’t father LaVar’s so-called people on the ground in China that got his son out of a long term prison sentence – IT WAS ME. Too bad! LaVar is just a poor man’s version of Don King, but without the hair. Just think.

He continued in a second tweet: ‘LaVar, you could have spent the next 5 to 10 years during Thanksgiving with your son in China, but no NBA contract to support you. But remember LaVar, shoplifting is NOT a little thing. It’s a really big deal, especially in China. Ungrateful fool!’    

LeVar’s interview on Monday quickly derailed despite the best efforts of host Chris Cuomo.

‘What did he [Trump] do for my son?’ Ball asked Cuomo. ‘I don’t have to go around thanking everybody. I don’t have to go around thanking everybody.’

LaVar Ball continued his feud with President Donald Trump by questioning the commander-in-chief’s role in releasing his son from China

The outspoken father of LiAngelo Ball questioned what Trump did to free the trio when he appeared on CNN Tonight on Monday

In an interview that quickly railroaded despite the best efforts of host Chris Cuomo, Ball once again declined to thank Trump (Pictured, left to right: LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley, and Jalen Hill pose for a picture before flying to China for the November 10 opener against Georgia Tech)

Trump claims he discussed the trio of players when he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 9 in Beijing (pictured)

Trump directed two critical tweets at Ball on Sunday after Ball refused to acknowledge Trump’s role in returning Ball’s son and two other UCLA basketball players – Cody Riley and Jalen Hill – to the US.

Appearing on ESPN, Ball said: ‘What was [Trump] over there for? Don’t tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out.’

Trump was not happy with the lack of gratitude, tweeting that he should have left the three teens in jail and that Ball was ‘very ungrateful’.

All three UCLA players – who have been suspended indefinitely – thanked Trump for his efforts during their on-campus news conference Wednesday. 

During the bizarre interview Monday, Ball and Cuomo quickly fell into a back-and-forth argument about why Ball wouldn’t thank the president.

‘We’re not even talking about the other two kids,’ Ball said.

‘We’re talking about your son because of what you said,’ Cuomo replied. He continued to press, asking: ‘Why won’t you thank him? Your son thanked him, the other two boys did.’

‘I’m not the other two boys,’ Ball replied. ‘Did you thank the doctor for bringing you into this world? I’m not just saying thank you to everybody for nothing.’

All three UCLA players – who have been suspended indefinitely – thanked Trump for his efforts during their on-campus news conference Wednesday (Pictured, Cody Riley, left; LiAngelo Ball, right, and Jalen Hill, background center, arrive in Los Angeles on Tuesday)

Appearing on ESPN, Ball said: ‘What was he [Trump] over there for? Don’t tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out’ (Pictured, Jalen Hill, left, and LiAngelo Ball, right, return to Los Angeles on Tuesday)

Trump directed two critical tweets at Ball on Sunday after Ball refused to acknowledge Trump’s role in returning Ball’s son and two other UCLA basketball players – Cody Riley and Jalen Hill – to the US

The interview descended into even further madness when Ball asked Cuomo for 90 seconds straight to thank him for appearing on the program (Pictured, LaMelo Ball, left; LaVar Ball, back center; and LiAngelo Ball, right pose for a portrait with Lonzo Ball, center, after being drafted number two overall to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2017 NBA Draft)

The interview descended into even further madness when Ball asked Cuomo for 90 seconds straight to thank him for appearing on the program.

When the interview ended, the two men wished each other a ‘Happy Thanskgiving’ with Ball even taking the opportunity to send his Thanksgiving wishes to the president. 

‘LaVar Ball’ quickly became the number one trending topic on Twitter with more than 209,000 tweets just an hour after he appeared on the show.

Twitter users quickly took to social media to express their amusement, horror and confusion at the interview.

Twitter users quickly took to social media to express their amusement, horror and confusion at the interview

‘LaVar Ball is either a genius or crazy or something I don’t even know about yet,’ tweeted one user. 

‘I hate Trump more for making me aware this guy exits than for anything else he’s ever done. I consider my knowledge of Ball’s existence an impeachable offense,’ joked another.

One user commented: ‘Lavar Ball demands Chris Cuomo says ‘thank you’ for his appearance on CNN for 90 straight seconds. This interview is a S**TSHOW.’